Detection of SARS-CoV-2 Aerosols in Testing Clinics

SARAH J. STEIN, Ashley R. Ravnholdt, Vicki Herrera, Danielle Rivera, Paul Williams, Joshua Santarpia, University of Nebraska Medical Center

     Abstract Number: 551
     Working Group: Aerosol Science of Infectious Diseases: What We Have Learned and Still Need to Know about Transmission, Prevention, and the One Health Concept

Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the potential hazards to workers with jobs that routinely interact with the public. Healthcare workers involved in administering the large quantities of diagnostic testing procedures that have been needed to monitor the progress of the pandemic. Therefore, the diagnostic testing environment represents an opportunity to study risk to public facing workers where the number of positive individuals they interact with is known. Aerosol and surface samples were collected from locations within two Nebraska Medicine COVID-19 testing and vaccine clinics, one located in a converted medical office and one in a converted grocery store. SARS-CoV-2 aerosol was detected in numerous samples and was positively correlated with clinic operation and infection, particularly clinic traffic and waiting room locations. Aerosol detection was shown to be more reliant on independent exposure events than the ratio of positive patients to total clinic traffic, suggesting that individual viral shedding is the predominant cause of SARS-CoV-2 aerosol presence. Additionally, extended duration aerosol sampling was shown to be more effective at SARS-CoV-2 detection, and SARS-CoV-2 was confirmed to be transmitted via submicron aerosol particles.